Album 1 gets a solid 6 months of promotion to include Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Its also eligible for the Grammy show in early February 2014. Then just as it is sliding down the charts, Album 2 gets released which should actually give Album 1 a little bump in sales at that time as well. Album 2 is eligible for the Grammy show in early February 2015. The tour for both albums starts in the summer 2014.

Album 1 gets a solid 6 months of promotion to include Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Its also eligible for the Grammy show in early February 2014. Then just as it is sliding down the charts, Album 2 gets released which should actually give Album 1 a little bump in sales at that time as well. Album 2 is eligible for the Grammy show in early February 2015. The tour for both albums starts in the summer 2014.

I'm personally encouraged by the apparent absence of Eno and Lanois, with Danger Mouse taking the controls. After listening to some of his work, I think Danger Mouse is the right one to once again make U2's music not just beautiful to listen to, but fun and invigorating at the same time; all without overdoing in that sense, as will.i.am. might have. It's a little hard to explain, but Danger Mouse seems like the right fit. I'm excited!

Two albums would be amazing, though I agree I think we'll be lucky to get one at this point. I certainly think they could pull off releasing two records within about six to eight months of each other and then tour. That would be fantastic to see.

Odds of some more talk about thi, then one album being released a little earlier than most were expecting (IE Late this year) and the fans getting angry and disappointed because there's only one for another few years?

Odds of some more talk about thi, then one album being released a little earlier than most were expecting (IE Late this year) and the fans getting angry and disappointed because there's only one for another few years?

Sounds likely.

But i'd rather promises of 2 albums evolving into just one album in late 2013, than a promise of just 1 album in late 2013, that turns into 1 album delayed by lillywhite, in 2014.

The early 80s Boy-October-War had a bare bones, punkish feel to the songsThe mid-late 80s U.Fire -JTree -R&Hum had American roots and atmospheric vibesThe 90s A.Baby-Zooropa-Pop had electronic, European, industrial soundsThe 00s ATYCLB-HTDAAB-NLOTH had a mostly back to basics, pop songs, and long album titles

What will the 10s trilogy bring?

I'm really looking forward to listening to the new album(s) on repeat the first few weeks after release.

Like with the defunct SOA, if quote-unquote album #1 doesn't sell as expected, there will be no album #2.

I agree, but only if album 2 is an offshoot/in the same style as album 1. Like how NLOTH didn't do as well as expected, and SoA was in the same vein, so they abandoned it as and they didn't want a repeated 'failure'. But they still tried to do a second, mid-tour album, albeit with different producers, aiming for a different sound.

So if album 1 fails this time round, i think it's conceivable that they might still try to 'revitalise' the tour by attempting to make another, different sounding album/ep they think might do better.

There is no stopping all the hopefulness and delusions of many in this forum.

Time and time again in many threads about predicting future albums, some of the forum members actually hope or predict two albums released in such short intervals.

Nothing in U2's history has indicated they can do that. And they are much older now and nowhere near hungry spring chickens.

As for Mullen's declaration, it does not make sense to call an album 9 months before its "supposed" release, unless it is already 100% complete now and they are just waiting for the proper timing to release it. That is not the case with album release however. Artists try to put it to production fresh from the studio so that the lyrics and music are still current and relevant to the music landscape.

The most likely indications are that Mullen has seen progress in the studio and feels their pace will take them through September. He is getting old and mindless of the fact that he is not U2 alone. There are 3 other members who represent unpredictable variables in the recording process given their advanced ages and busy schedules.

The recording of a U2 album is painfully slow, but the last few tracks are just like the last two minutes of a basketball game - the time says it is close but the actual time it takes to finish is actually so long.